Publications

November 2003
Case

Procter & Gamble 2000 (A): The SpinBrush and Innovation at P&G

By: William A. Sahlman and Ryland Matthew Willis

Describes a set of decisions confronting some managers in the oral care division of Procter & Gamble. They must decide whether to buy a company that has developed an inexpensive, battery-operated toothbrush. The company's product has done well in one market, but... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Innovation and Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Mergers and Acquisitions; Product Launch; Corporate Finance; Retail Industry

Profile

Dana Hoffmann

Before she applied to HBS, Dana Hoffmann seemed to be on a dream career trajectory. With a master’s degree in applied mathematics, she had worked as a financial analyst at Symantec, the Silicon Valley security software giant, and was recruited by Apple to a fast-track... View Details

24 Sep 2021
Blog Post

Alumni Spotlight: Career Advice from Alums Working in Climate

corporations and governments alike need to focus on. Consequently, the career opportunities for MBAs are now unlimited- you can shape sustainability strategy at traditional companies and banks, drive products and operations at startups... View Details

28 Feb 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research, February 28

the start-up movement about how best to organize and execute new ventures as “business experiments.” These lessons from the “start-up garage” enable established corporations to make progress on new View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Jan 2015
News

The Ingredients for Success

Idea Village, an anchor organization for the emerging entrepreneurial movement in New Orleans, Markowitz (MBA 2003) struggled to find a decent job there. With an HBS degree and a background in corporate finance, she seemed overqualified... View Details

Keywords: Tyler Bridges; Food Services and Drinking Places; Hospitality; Educational Services

September 2011 (Revised August 2015)
Case

ScoreBig

By: William A. Sahlman, Jeffrey Glass and Evan W. Richardson

The founding team at ScoreBig, an event ticketing company, is on the verge of a public launch of their product. The company has made great progress in negotiating access to tickets, designing its interface, and building a proprietary architecture. For consumers,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

Web

Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements - Course Catalog

to students seeking a career in consulting, corporate finance, hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, or investment banking. Educational Objectives The objective of the course is to provide hands-on... View Details

01 Apr 2001
News

Khoo Teng Chye: Technology Turnaround in Singapore

Portnet a global standard, particularly as the state-run corporation expands overseas. It now has about ten port ventures in seven countries. Khoo reckons that within the next six years, more than a third of... View Details

Keywords: Alejandro Reyes; Transportation

June 1998 (Revised November 2010)
Teaching Note

M-TRONICS (TN) (A) and (B)

By: Joseph L. Bower and Lynda M. Applegate

Teaching Note for 807156 and 807157. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business Subsidiaries; Problems and Challenges; Integration; Manufacturing Industry

November 2004 (Revised July 2005)
Case

Messier's Reign at Vivendi Universal

By: Rakesh Khurana, Vincent Dessain and Daniela Beyersdorfer

Focuses on a crisis in the board at Vivendi. Highlights the difficulties that arise when dramatic pressure from outside the boardroom affects boardroom dynamics. In this case, there are two events. The first is an unexpectedly large financial loss and a pending cash... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Crisis Management; History; Cash Flow; Acquisition; Performance; Telecommunications Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

September 2004 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Harley-Davidson, Inc.: Motorcycle Manufacturer or Financing Company?

Harley-Davidson manufactures and sells motorcycles. It also provides financing for retail purchases and dealer stock. Although Harley's performance has been very strong, analysts and the press have questioned its use of a special-purpose entity to sell securities... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Business or Company Management; Corporate Disclosure; Financial Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Financial Services Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Retail Industry

March 2024 (Revised April 2024)
Case

Angel City Football Club: Scoring a New Model

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Jennifer Fonstad and Nicole Tempest Keller

In January 2024, Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, and Natalie Portman, the founders of Angel City Football Club (ACFC) were developing the club’s first three-year strategic plan. Founded in 2020, ACFC had a star-studded investor group, including Portman and celebrities such... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Entertainment; Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Venture Capital; Business Model; Corporate Strategy; Digital Marketing; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States; California; Los Angeles

April 2002
Article

Limited Arbitrage in Mergers and Acquisitions

By: Malcolm Baker and Serkan Savasoglu

A diversified portfolio of risk arbitrage positions produces an abnormal return of 0.6-0.9% per month over the period from 1981 to 1996. We trace these profits to practical limits on risk arbitrage. In our model of risk arbitrage, arbitrageurs' risk-bearing capacity... View Details

Keywords: Arbitrage; Market Efficiency; Mergers and Acquisitions; Profit; Risk and Uncertainty; Corporate Strategy; Capital; Banking Industry

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April–May 2021
Article

Labor Mobility and Antitakeover Provisions

By: Aiyesha Dey and Joshua White

How do firms protect their human capital? We test whether firms facing an increased threat of being acquired strengthen their antitakeover provisions (ATPs) in order to bond with their employees. We use the adoption of the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine (IDD) by U.S.... View Details

Keywords: Labor Mobility; Antitakeover Provisions; Trade Secrets; Implicit Contracting; Employee Bonding; Corporate Governance; Acquisition; Human Capital; Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Intellectual Property; Safety

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June 2003 (Revised January 2006)
Case

Xilinx, Inc. (A)

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Christina Darwall

Is it possible to create a great business and a company? Wim Roelandts sets out, in the context of Xilinx, to create a high-performance organization without sacrificing the human dimension. Roelandts experiences additional pressure when the company is affected by a... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Organizational Design

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January 1997
Case

Dr. Sergio Ceccuzzi and SMI: Negotiating Cross-Border Acquisitions in Europe (B)

By: James K. Sebenius

Since the 1960s, SMI has quietly executed a series of brilliantly negotiated takeovers throughout Europe, often acquiring companies much larger than itself. Despite formidable obstacles, SMI has managed to acquire state-owned competitors in Italy and France, as well as... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Corporate Governance; International Relations; Negotiation Tactics; Consolidation; Mining Industry; Europe